MASON, Ohio — For more than 120 years, Cincinnati has been a major player on the world stage when it comes to hosting tennis tournaments. But that could soon be changing. An out-of-town billionaire who bought the tournament last year is already talking about moving it to Charlotte, closer to his home in South Carolina.  

What You Need To Know

  • The Western and Southern Tennis Open in Greater Cincinnati is the longest-running tournament in its city of origin

  • A billionaire from South Carolina bought the tournament last year and detailed a plan to move it to Charlotte

  • Local and state leaders in Ohio are making an effort to keep the tournament in Mason

  • A decision on the tournament's long-term home is expected from the new owners in a few months

Ben Navarro’s Beemok Capital has presented Charlotte officials with a 400-million dollar proposal that calls for building tennis courts, four stadiums, and multi-use facilities that include pickleball.

Some Ohio civic leaders in state and local government are countering with a proposal to pump $150 million into the existing site in Mason to convince the new owners to keep the tournament here.

“I know that Reddi Cincinnati, Visit Cincy, Western and Southern the chamber of commerce, state leaders, leaders in Mason city leaders are all working together to make as competitive bid as possible,” said Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval.  

He thinks the effort is worthwhile - and not just for the economic benefits the tournament brings Cincinnati and the Ohio Valley, estimated to be about $80 million a year.  

“It's a well-established, traditional, historic event,” Pureval said. “It’s not just a tennis tournament but a multi-generational event where grandparents and parents and kids all come together to celebrate the best tennis players in the world.”

It also attracts more than 1,300 volunteers who came from 29 states and four countries last year.

“I was very shocked that they are thinking about moving it,” said Jennifer Mauer, a volunteer photographer who drives more than two hours each way from her home near Lexington. 

"I think part of the reason it's so special is because of the venue itself,” Mauer said. “Getting to go to practice courts and you're standing 15 feet away from the number one player in the world - you're not going to get that at the US Open.”

Mauer believes keeping the tournament in the Midwest is better than moving it to Charlotte.

“The accessibility of the location is a huge draw for people,” she said.  “It's driving distance for a lot of neighboring states very easy to fly into.  A lot of families use it as a week-long vacation and there's amusement parks.”

“I do go to Kings Island quite a bit when I'm up there,” said Zach White, a varsity tennis player at Eastern Illinois University who’s from Lexington.  He and his family have been going to the Western & Southern since Zach was a boy.  

“It inspires you to try to play at that level so you can watch them and see how they compete up close in those situations that you normally wouldn't see so I like that,” Zach said.

He says players he knows who’ve competed in the tournament love the Midwestern hospitality.

”I was pretty upset about that and hoping it would stay in Cincinnati because I know there's a lot of tennis fans that consider that a vacation for some of their families,” Zach said.  “So I'm hoping it stays.”

“It's the only tournament in the country that's been in its original city for over 100 years and I think that really means something to that area of Cincinnati,” Mauer said. 

She hopes to someday get a 30-year service pin like some of the dedicated volunteers she has photographed over the years.

“I'm 12 or 13 years in that's going to be me one day walking out getting my 30-year pin of volunteering and to know that that may not be the case, it stinks.”

Representatives from the tournament, the sponsor, Western & Southern, and the city of Mason turned down requests for an interview.  Several organizations involved with lobbying to keep the tournament in Ohio emailed prepared statements to Spectrum News.

“We remain committed to working with the Beemok team to fully explore a solution to expand and enhance the tournament, realize its full potential, and preserve it in its home of 124 years,” wrote David Nevers,  Vice President, Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Western & Southern Financial Group.

“Our process in other cities follows the same course we have taken in Greater Cincinnati, to both present the benefits of the tournament to the local community as well as evaluate the opportunities and constraints,” reads a statement from Beemok Capital.  “We expect to make a decision on the long-term home of the tournament later this summer.”